


Redemption (Doesn't Fall Down At Your Feet)

by Nenanya



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:47:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26168911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nenanya/pseuds/Nenanya
Summary: Forced into the cold, hard embrace of reality when she is conscripted into the Grey Warden's, young Ranait Cousland must find a way to save the world even as she struggles with abandoning her family to their deaths.
Relationships: Alistair & Cousland (Dragon Age), Alistair & Female Warden (Dragon Age), Alistair/Cousland (Dragon Age), Alistair/Female Cousland (Dragon Age), Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Alistair/Original Grey Warden Character(s) (Dragon Age)





	Redemption (Doesn't Fall Down At Your Feet)

**Author's Note:**

> In which I attempt to follow the canon story line for Warden Cousland while simultaneously exploring more emotional reactions from the characters.

The clear, quiet night belied the turmoil within Highever castle. Inside the screams of servants and shouts of guards mixed with the sounds of battle. Tables and chairs, walls and floors were all covered with the sticky, crimson blood of those who fought against the onslaught of one man’s betrayal. 

On the second floor the youngest Cousland - barely a woman herself - awoke to the sound of her beloved Mabari’s fierce barking. Earlier that day the hound’s barking had alerted her to a potential threat in the kitchens. On high alert she rolled from her bed and grabbed the sword that rested on her night stand.

“What is it boy,” she whispered as she cautiously approached the door that he was fixated upon. She did not even have time to reach the door before it burst open. A servant - a man she had known her whole life - shouted a warning just before he collapsed at her feet, dead.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the arrow that protruded from his back, but she was given no time to investigate before arrows were flying into her room. With a viscous growl, Cu launched himself through the now open door. A single scream was cut short by a wet, gurgling noise that she was almost certain indicated her faithful hound had ripped into the unseen attacker’s throat.

She was a fighter, and a damned good one at that, but she had never been in true battle against other humans. Still, knowing that there were others whose life might depend on her doing so, she darted out from her bedroom and joined her precious companion. Together they made short work of the few attackers who had found their way upstairs.

“Darling,” her mother’s familiar voice called out to her, and at once she was flooded with relief. Eleanor Cousland was well known for her own fighting skills - one of the many things that she had passed on to her daughter. The bow that she carried suited her well, and though she had tried to put aside that part of her life years ago, young Ranait knew that her mother was just as capable of fighting as she had ever been.

“Mom,” she whimpered as she flung herself - still dressed in only her night clothes - at her mother and wrapped her arms around her. The hug was fierce and tight and full of the relief that each of them felt at finding the other alive. Even when they had disagreements, the love of the Cousland family could not be denied.

“These are Howe’s men,” she said with disbelief as she extracted herself from her mother’s embrace. Arl Rendon Howe had been more than just a vassal to Teryn Bryce Cousland. They had fought in the war against Orlais together, grown up together. If two best friends existed anywhere in Thedas it would be Rendon Howe and Bryce Cousland. So why in the name of the Maker were his men attacking Highever?

A brief discussion and several curses upon the Howe’s later, Ranait and Eleanor returned to her bedroom where she quickly donned her armor with her mother’s assistance. Cu stood vigilant in the doorway, prepared to sound an alarm and take on any would be attackers. Fortunately neither thing occurred before they were finished.

“Come, boy,” she said in a firm tone as she stepped past her dog. He lifted his head to look at her with those eerily intelligent eyes and gave her a look that seemed to say he understood everything that was happening. She brushed a hand over the top of his head and led him across the hall to her sister-in-law’s room.

“No,” the strangled shout came from her mother, and despite wanting to collapse herself, Renny turned and caught her mother in her arms. It was just as well as she could not bring herself to view the scene of her brother’s wife and child lying dead on their bedroom floor again. Pain and fear lanced through her heart as she held her mother who sobbed only briefly. 

“We must find your father,” Teryna Eleanor announced as she extracted herself from her daughter’s arms for the second time that night. She glanced up at her mother’s face, a face that had taken on a hardened expression. In those familiar eyes she could still see the pain and fear that warred for control. And yet. Teryna Cousland was a woman who would fight to her last breath if it meant keeping safe those she loved.

“Let’s go,” she agreed as she stepped around her mother and out of the bedroom. Her Mabari stuck close to her side as she led the way down to the first floor. At the bottom of the stairs they came across another servant who shouted more warnings about the castle being under attack. He was ready to flee, but she persuaded him to join their little group.

Side-by-side they all fought, occasionally collecting the stray Highever guard along the way. As they made their way into the Great Hall her attention was drawn to the young knight who was the closest thing she’d had to a best friend growing up. “Your ladyship. My lady,” he called out to them as they all fought through the group of Howe’s men that had also made their way into the Great Hall.

The fight was over almost before it began, and Renny found herself questioning him on her father’s whereabouts. He told them everything that he knew, and declared that he and the other guards would stay in the Hall to hold off as many of Howe’s men as they could, for as long as they could. She reached out and clasped his shoulder briefly - a silent thank you for his years of service and loyalty to her family - before she turned and led her small party to the kitchens.

They burst through the door, and the sight that met her gaze was one that would forever be burned into her memory. Her father lay on the floor, clutching at a wound in his side. A wound that bled profusely and screamed the warning that it would be fatal. Emotion choked her as she and her mother both ran to his side.

She fell to her knees beside him and in her desperation she flung her arms around his neck. It was an embrace that he could not return, but she did not care. Her whole world was crashing down around her, and she clung to her father in a way that she hadn’t since her childhood. 

Words were exchanged over her head, but she paid little enough attention until their guest’s voice sounded behind her. The Grey Warden’s words did little except to confirm what she already knew - they were screwed and needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. But her father’s wound. He would not survive the standing. And in that moment a horrible understanding flashed through her. 

“Duncan, I beg you. Take my wife and daughter to safety,” her father’s voice rang in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut as they discussed the matter briefly and she was presented with the idea of becoming a Grey Warden. She shook her head in denial, even as part of her brain argued that she might not have any other option.

“I won’t do it! I won’t leave you here,” she argued as she pulled back from her father and stared at the small group who surrounded him. Part of her could not believe that they would ask her to do such a thing. How could they expect her to waltz off and join the Grey Wardens as if her whole world hadn’t just been destroyed? How could they expect her to not seek revenge against Howe for what he had done to her family?

There was some back and forth as they attempted to persuade her that it was the best course of action. She should join the Grey Wardens, and Duncan would personally inform the king of what had happened there in the northern part of Ferelden. But she remained firm in her denial.

“They are my family,” she practically shouted, “And you expect me to just abandon them? I won’t do it.”  
“Then you leave me no choice. I hereby invoke the right of conscription,” Duncan countered and her head snapped around as her brows drew together in a glare.  
“Invoke all you want. You’ll have to drag me out of here kicking and screaming,” she snarled.

What she hadn’t realized when those words had come out of her mouth was that he was fully prepared to do so. She struggled against him, but her mother’s hand on her arm calmed her. One look into those eyes and she knew. It was time to become the woman that Teryna Cousland had raised her to be. Tears formed in her own eyes and she fell to her knees beside her parents - an action that she was surprised Duncan allowed.

“I love you both. So much,” she whimpered as she hugged each of her parents in turn. They returned her embrace, but she soon felt the Grey Warden’s grip on her arm once again. It was time to go. Time for the youngest Cousland to step into the cold, hard embrace of reality as she was forced to abandon those she loved most to their deaths.


End file.
